Speaking of Fitzcarraldo, do you know the film
The Lost City of Z on a similar theme
including a Opera Puppet Show in the Jungle
of Marriage of Figaro...
[2017 PG-13 Rated PG-13 2hr 21m
The Lost City of Z tells the incredible true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett, who journeys into the Amazon at the dawn of the 20th century and discovers evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization that may have once inhabited the region. Despite being ridiculed by the scientific establishment who regard indigenous populations as "savages," the determined Fawcett - supported by his devoted wife, son and aide de camp returns time and again to his beloved jungle in an attempt to prove his case, culminating in his mysterious disappearance in 1925.
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller,]
J
----- ANGELO MAMMANO <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I also love Alexandra. One of the best of the films that features
> a famous opera singer is The Search. It stars Montgomery Clift and
> Jarmila Novotna. Monty plays an American soldier who meets and teaches
> English to a boy who seems to have lost all of his family in concentration
> camps during WW2. He intends to adopt the boy and take him back to the U. S.
> Jarmila is the boy's mother who has been searching for him. At the end she
> recognizes him and calls out his name. They are finally reunited.
>
> Tomorrow on TCM at 8 PM they are showing Fitzcarraldo - a really wonderful
> film that I venture to say would please all of us, bar none. Klaus Kinski
> takes the lead role. At 12:30 PM on the same channel is America America.
> Not opera but a very moving film that I love.
>
> Angelo from Boston
>
>
> > On September 6, 2017 at 2:15 PM Rich Lowenthal <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Personally, my favorite Melchior film was his first: "Thrill of a Romance"
> > with leads Esther Williams and Van Johnson. (The film also features Tommy
> > Dorsey and his band). There is nothing quite like an Esther Williams film;
> > there is a kind of wonderful madness to the swimming numbers, and the films
> > (and Williams) are enormously likeable.
> >
> > Melchior reportedly loved making movies. The Met reportedly hated him making
> > movies.
> >
> > I would add on Nelson Eddy that he also sang Orest. To my mind, that was his
> > most unlikely role.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Discussion of opera and related issues
> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of G. Paul Padillo
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 6, 2017 11:47 AM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Opera Singers in Movies
> >
> > While not quite as broad a category as our prior opera as movies series,
> > it it's worth noting the number of opera singers who appeared in movies, go
> > going all the way back to the silent era, some of which have been di
> > discussed in the earlier thread.
> >
> > Most singers didnt successfully transfer their artistry from the stage to
> > the screen, but some are definitely deserving of mention.
> >
> > Theresa Stratas made her film debut as White Squaw in 1961s The
> > Canadians directed by the great Western filmmaker, Burt Kennedy.
> > Outside of operatic (and operetta-ic) roles, she made relatively few other
> > features, the most notable being 1997s Under the Piano with Amanda
> > Plummer. Stratas won the Gemini Award (Canada's Oscar) for Best
> > Supporting Actress for her role as Regina Basilio, a complicated former diva
> > who gave up stardom for family. Despite the sacrifice, Regina almost
> > singlehandedly destroys the lives of her two daughters. Stratas creates a
> > difficult to love woman, hardboiled and tough as nails, whilst hiding a
> > tortured vulnerability and an almost phobic fear of life.
> >
> > While Im generally leaving out non-operatic performances, Galina
> > Vishnevskayas performance as Katerina Ismailova already brought up by
> > myself and others, cannot go unmentioned as its one of the most searing,
> > intense performances  sung or spoken, committed to celluloid. Her only
> > non-singing role is the title character of the great Russian director,
> > Alexander Sokurovs film Alexandra. While most Americans find his work
> > slow going, I happen to adore his films and Alexandra ranks up there with
> > his best work. The fact this man, a titan outside of the world of opera,
> > wrote and directed this to honor Vishnevskaya is a genuine tribute to one of
> > the 20th centuries greatest performing artists. Stripped of her customary
> > glamor, Vishnevskayas Russian babushka is a tough, crotchety old woman who,
> > by any means necessary, (including a tank) makes what is likely her last
> > voyage, a visit to her grandson, a soldier serving in the Second Chechen
> > War. Like his other work, Sokurovs Alexandra raises cinematic
> > storytelling to the highest form of art, and worthy of this great diva.
> >
> > Another great singer from the past century, Lauritz Melchior made a handful
> > of films including 1942s screwball Luxury Liner joining up with George
> > Brent, Jane Powell and (wait for it) . . . Xavier Cugat! Of his performance
> > the NY Times Bosley Crowther wrote:
> >
> > Mr. Melchior puts his bellows to work on anything from a snatch of Aida,
> > to a Scandinavian drinking song. The latter is highly appropriate, for
> > youd think from the way he drinks beer in great quaffs all the way through
> > the picture that he was posing for a brewery ad
> >
> > Crowther ends his review with:
> >
> > Color, as usual, does something to make this Luxury Liner look brighter
> > than it is. Batten down your hatches, if you board it. Youre likely to
> > find
> > the passage rough.
> >
> > Youhza!
> >
> > Julia Migenes dabbled in film, most (un)notably in Berlin Blues a
> > hackneyed, romantic potboiler with the soprano as an American cabaret singer
> > living in Berlin, when her pianist/boyfriend is shipped back to the East.
> > Contrived enough as it is, the film goes off kilter when a conductor friend
> > tries to help Migenes establish herself as an opera singer. I remember
> > barely staying awake through this in a DC Cineplex not long enough ago to
> > have forgotten it.
> >
> > While we primarily think of him as a Hollywood Musical actor, Nelson Eddy
> > was a bona fide opera singer, with some impressive roles in his repertoire,
> > including the U.S. premiere of two Strauss operas, Ariadne auf Naxos and
> > Feuersnot. Other impressive roles included the Drum Major (a tenor
> > role!), Amonasro, Wolfram in Tannhäuser; Marcello; Count Almaviva;
> > Pappageno; and most impressive (for my money) Gurnemanz in a Parsifal
> > conducted by Stowkowski (who conducted him in other works, as well). He was
> > also chosen to sing in the world premiere of
> > Respighis Maria Egiziaca conducted by the composer himself, when the
> > scheduled maestro, Toscanini, bowed out at the last minute due to illness.
> >
> > My favorite singer ever is Callas, but when I first saw Pasolini's "Medea"
> > when I was a kid, I generally loathed everything about it. I watched it a
> > few more times, but it wasn't until I was "no longer young" that the film fi
> > finally worked on me and now I watch it perhaps once a year and find more to
> > to appreciate with each viewing.
> >
> > I'd be interested in seeing what other films people mention starring, or
> > featuring opera singers.
> >
> > p.
> >
> > **********************************************
> > OPERA-L on Facebook:
> > http://www.facebook.com/groups/25703098721/
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message to [log in to unmask] containing
> > only the words: SIGNOFF OPERA-L
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > To stay subscribed but TURN OFF mail, send a message to
> > [log in to unmask] containing only the words: SET OPERA-L NOMAIL
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Modify your settings: http://listserv.bccls.org/archives/opera-l.html
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > **********************************************
> > OPERA-L on Facebook:
> > http://www.facebook.com/groups/25703098721/
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message to [log in to unmask]
> > containing only the words: SIGNOFF OPERA-L
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > To stay subscribed but TURN OFF mail, send a message to
> > [log in to unmask] containing only the words: SET OPERA-L NOMAIL
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Modify your settings: http://listserv.bccls.org/archives/opera-l.html
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> **********************************************
> OPERA-L on Facebook:
> http://www.facebook.com/groups/25703098721/
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message to [log in to unmask]
> containing only the words: SIGNOFF OPERA-L
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> To stay subscribed but TURN OFF mail, send a message to
> [log in to unmask] containing only the words: SET OPERA-L NOMAIL
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Modify your settings: http://listserv.bccls.org/archives/opera-l.html
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
**********************************************
OPERA-L on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/25703098721/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message to [log in to unmask]
containing only the words: SIGNOFF OPERA-L
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
To stay subscribed but TURN OFF mail, send a message to
[log in to unmask] containing only the words: SET OPERA-L NOMAIL
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Modify your settings: http://listserv.bccls.org/archives/opera-l.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------